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Zhou Chen struggled to open his heavy eyelids. He was hit by a wave of dizziness, and a sharp ringing buzzed in his ears. It felt like he'd been thrown into a washing machine on a manic spin cycle, then dropped from the sky. His brain had been shaken into mush, his thoughts too scrambled to form a single complete idea.
The intense vertigo made his stomach churn, and he threw up with a retch.
It took a while for his vision to gradually return and for him to make out his surroundings. The night was deep. A gentle breeze pushed the clouds aside, slowly revealing a magnificent starry sky. A bright moon hung high overhead, its cold light illuminating a silent, Desolate Forest. He was lying on a patch of grass.
Zhou Chen sat up and looked around, his face blank with confusion.
'How... is it nighttime?'
The air was a bit muggy, and the intermittent chirping of cicadas filled the air. A cool night breeze blew across his face, clearing his head slightly.
'Something's not right...'
